March 19, 2018

The artificial sweetener Splenda promoted microbial dysbiosis and Crohn’s-like disease in genetically susceptible mice, suggesting that consumption of this product could exacerbate symptoms in patients with Crohn’s disease, according to new research published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

“Our findings suggest that patients with Crohn’s disease should think carefully about consuming Splenda or similar products containing sucralose and maltodextrin,” study author Alex Rodriguez-Palacios, DVM, MSc, DVSc, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, said in a press release. “This study demonstrates that the sweetener induces changes in gut bacteria and gut wall immune cell reactivity, which could result in inflammation or disease flare ups in susceptible people. On the other hand, the study suggests that individuals free of intestinal diseases may not need to be overly concerned.”